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Trivia: Musical Terms

Subject : trivia
Instructions:
  • Answer 50 questions in 15 minutes.
  • If you are not ready to take this test, you can study here.
  • Match each statement with the correct term.
  • Don't refresh. All questions and answers are randomly picked and ordered every time you load a test.

This is a study tool. The 3 wrong answers for each question are randomly chosen from answers to other questions. So, you might find at times the answers obvious, but you will see it re-enforces your understanding as you take the test each time.
1. A quick - improvisational - spirited piece of music.






2. Three notes played in the same amount of time as one or two beats.






3. A direction to play lively and fast.






4. A canon where the melody is sung in two or more voices. After the first voice begins - the next voice starts singing after a couple of measures are played in the preceding voice. All parts repeat continuously.






5. A musical composition that has a romantic or dreamy character with nocturnal associations.






6. A style of male singing where by partial use of the vocal chords - the voice is able to reach the pitch of a female.






7. The unit of measure where the beats on the lines of the staff are divided up into two - three - four beats to a measure.






8. Sliding between two notes.






9. System of notes or tones based on and named after the key note.






10. A set of six musicians who perform a composition written for six parts.






11. An important characteristic of the Romantic period. It is a style where the strict tempo is temporarily abandoned for a more emotional tone.






12. A set of four musicians who perform a composition written for four parts.






13. Primary theme or subject that is developed.






14. A composition written for eight instruments.






15. An extended solo - often accompanying the vocal part of an aria.






16. A piece of music written in triple time. Also an old French dance.






17. Unmusical - without tone.






18. A chord progression that seems to lead to resolving itself on the final chord; but does not.






19. The unit of measure where the beats on the lines of the staff are divided up into two - three - four beats to a measure.






20. A book of text containing the words of an opera.






21. Movement in music where the characteristics are crisp and direct.






22. The performance of either all instruments of an orchestra or voices in a chorus.






23. One who directs a group of performers. The conductor indicates the tempo - phrasing - dynamics - and style by gestures and facial expressions.






24. A book of text containing the words of an opera.






25. Three to four movement orchestral piece - generally in sonata form.






26. Originally an improvised cadence by a soloist. Later it became a written out passage to display performance skills of an instrumentalist or performer.






27. Ability to determine the pitch of a note as it relates to the notes that precede and follow it.






28. Passage for the entire ensemble or orchestra without a soloist.






29. Short movement or interlude connecting the main parts of the composition.






30. Pertaining to the loudness or softness of a musical composition. Also the symbols in sheet music indicating volume.






31. A form of Italian opera beginning at the end of the 19th century. The setting is contemporary to the composer's own time - and the characters are modeled after every day life.






32. Movement or passage that concludes the musical composition.






33. A group singing in unison.






34. A piece of music written for two vocalists or instrumentalists.






35. A curve over notes to indicate that a phrase is to be played legato.






36. A direction in sheet music indicating the tempo is to be very fast.






37. A short piano piece - often improvisational and intimate in character.






38. Primary theme or subject that is developed.






39. A symbol indicating to play loud.






40. A symbol in sheet music that returns a note to its original pitch after it has been augmented or diminished.






41. Indicating speed.






42. When several strings are tuned to harmonically related pitches - all strings vibrate when only one of the strings is struck.






43. Two or more voices or instruments playing the same note simultaneously.






44. The distance in pitch between two notes.






45. A form of writing for vocals that is close to the manner of speech and is rhythmically free.






46. A set of four musicians who perform a composition written for four parts.






47. One or more vocalists performing without an accompaniment.






48. Three notes played in the same amount of time as one or two beats.






49. A repeating phrase that is played at the end of each verse in the song.






50. One who directs a group of performers. The conductor indicates the tempo - phrasing - dynamics - and style by gestures and facial expressions.